Devonte Danzey, a junior college transfer who entered as a sophomore, and redshirt freshman Jordan Diamond appear to be the two most likely contenders for that role, an important spot if either Slade or Kozan goes down with an injury.

Auburn OL Devonte Danzey works out during spring practice Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at the Auburn Athletic Complex in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

"The great question right now is who that third guard is going to be, and we’ve got to figure that out," offensive line coach J.B. Grimes said. "And we’ve got a little time."

The emergence of Kozan on the left side allows Auburn to breathe a little easier and focus on the battle for the starting right tackle job, where Avery Young, Patrick Miller and Shon Coleman are in the mix.

"It’s nice to have some questions answered already, without a doubt," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "We’ve got guys competing across the board.

Another redshirt freshman, Will Adams, is also in the mix, but Danzey and Diamond seem to have a leg up on the race after the first 11 practices of fall camp.

The key for both players is making it up to Grimes' considerably high standards on technique.

Diamond, the biggest option at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, showed some promise last August, but a shoulder injury essentially robbed him of the chance to develop during a redshirt year.

"Jordan actually is doing some better things," Grimes said. "He spent a year not playing football basically with that injury he had last year, so we’re still getting some rust off of him."

Danzey, a more streamlined option at 6-foot-4, 282 pounds, has a year of junior college football under his belt, but that can be both blessing and curse.

Grimes is a stickler for the details, and Danzey's re-learning most of what he knew.

"Old habits are hard to break, and he’s got to do some things fundamentally with his hands and his feet that he’s never been asked to do before," Grimes said. "He struggles with it a little bit, but we’re getting there."